Patria Mercedes Mirabal, María Argentina Minerva Mirabal, Antonia María Teresa Mirabal and Bélgica Adela "Dedé" Mirabal-Reyes were political dissidents in the Dominican Republic, and worked to end the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo.

The sisters created a group of opponents to the Trujillo regime, known as the “Movement of the Fourteenth of June”. Within that group, they were known as "Mariposas"(butterflies).

Two of the sisters, María Argentina and Antonia María Teresa, were incarcerated, raped and tortured on several occasions. On 25 November 1960, three of the sisters - Patria Mercedes, María Argentina Minerva and Antonia María Teresa - were assassinated. The fourth sister, Adela "Dedé" Mirabal-Reyes, was not assassinated and still works to preserve her sisters' memory.

On 17 December 1999, the United Nations General Assembly designated November 25 as the annual date for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women in commemoration of the sisters.

***********************************

Conference "Under the wings of butterfiles" :

Dédé Mirabal will be present and address the audience during the Conference which will take place on 28 October 2010, from 5.00 pm to 7.00 pm in Room XII (by registration only).

***********************************

Exhibition "Art denounces violence against women" :

The exhbition will be inaugurated at 7.00 pm just after the Conference on 28 October 2010 in the presence of Bélgica Adela "Dedé" Mirabal-Reyes.

This poster exhibition is dedicated to the memory of the Mirabal sisters and will take place from 28 October to 4 November 2010, Corridor X-XI.

***********************************

Projection Preview : "Tropico de Sangre" :
4 November 2010, 5.00 pm, Cinema Room

Film of Juan Delancer
This film relates the life and struggle of Patria Mercedes Mirabal, Maria Argentina Minerva Mirabal and Antonia María Teresa Mirabal, killed on 25 November 1960.
(Dominican Republic, 2010 – 115 min – Original version in Spanish, French subtitles)

(Registration required, within the limit of available places)